LONDON — A British Airways flight bound for Portugal was forced to turn around and declare an emergency shortly after departure following reports of a cracked passenger window inside the cabin.
Flight BA2660, operated by an Airbus A321 registered as G-EUXD, departed London Gatwick Airport (LGW) bound for Faro Airport (FAO) at approximately 9:00 AM BST. Roughly one hour into the flight, the flight crew issued a squawk 7700 emergency signal to air traffic control (ATC) after identifying structural damage to a window panel on the right side of the aircraft.
Mid-Air Response
According to flight telemetry and communications sent to air traffic control and airline operations, the issue was localized near row 3R.
Airplane cabin windows consist of multiple layers, including a structural outer glass layer and a protective inner scratch-pane layer. Although cabin pressure was maintained, standard aviation safety protocol dictates an immediate turn-around and descent to a lower altitude to mitigate potential pressure loss or further glass degradation.
The pilots immediately aborted the route to Portugal, initiated a U-turn, and coordinated an emergency diversion, returning to London Gatwick. Emergency ground crews at Gatwick were alerted to meet the aircraft upon arrival as a standard precautionary measure.
Operational Impact
Flight diversions of this nature trigger immediate aircraft replacement protocols to ensure passengers can reach their final destination in the Algarve region. British Airways engineering teams will inspect the damaged window assembly on G-EUXD to determine the cause of the fracture before returning the Airbus A321 to service.
